Hector Lombard vs. Jared Hess
The fight was in the finals of the first season middleweight tournament, for the vacant middleweight title. It featured surely the biggest cut in Bellator history thus far, if not one of the biggest in MMA history, a cut inflicted by Hector Lombard on Jared Hess. The Fight The first round began. They circled sizing each other up. Hess landed a nice inside leg kick and they clinched. Lombard got a lifting single into guard. He landed a pair of right hands. Hess shoved him off after a moment and after another moment they stood and Lombard broke with a missed knee. Hess landed a leg kick. They clinched, Hess avoided a trip. They worked for position along the cage with Hess in the dominant position. They broke. Hess shot in, Lombard stuffed it sprawling out. Lombard landed a counter jab and turned it to a counter right hook as well and Hess backed off. Two ten. Lombard missed a combination. Hess's defense leaves something to be desired. Two minutes. Hess slightly landed like a TKD style leg kick. Hess missed a rigth hand narrowly and they clinched. They broke with Lombard missing a punch and slipping and standing. Hess landed a leg kick. One twenty. Lombard landed a big right hand and sent Hess to his knees, Hess stood and backed off avoiding the pounce. Hess seems tired, maybe that's it. One minute. Lombard missed an uppercut. They clinched and Hess broke eating a right hand and a right hook and he was rocked again. They clinched. Thirty. Lombard trying for the throw, Hess defended and broke away. Hess faked a shot and stayed on his knees for a moment there too. Hess landed an inside leg kick. Ten. Lombard landed a left hand. The first round ended, there's a nice mouse under Hess's left eye. The second round began. They circled. Hess finally shot in, Lombard stuffed it and then Hess backed off sloppily. Four twenty-five. They clinched and Hess broke eating a grazing right hand. The referee paused the fight. He asked Hess if he was okay. An eye poke, possibly. I think Hess just wants time to recover. Hess said he could see okay and he continued, it was an eyepoke to the right eye. Hess came in dodging a counter combination. Hess landed an inside leg kick. Hess shot in, Lombard sprawled nicely. Three forty. Hess was warned for grabbing the shorts. Lombard kept the sprawl and then they stood and broke. Hess was tired for sure. He looks outmatched. Lombard avoided another takedown, shoving Hess away. Lombard landed a left hand and grazed with a right hook. Three minutes. Hess came in but couldn't seem to find the range. Hess came in and managed to at least pull guard that time heh.. Lombard landed a thudding body shot. Two twenty-five. Lombard landed an elbow. Lombard landed a body shot and another elbow. Two minutes. 'Left elbow!' One forty. Lombard landed a few right hands. One twenty. The referee was warning a standup and he did a moment later. One ten. Hess couldn't find the range. One minute. Lombard blocked a body kick. Thirty. Lombard landed a right hook. Fifteen. Hess was cosntantly backing up. He shot in flat and Lombard sprawled out and turtled him up again. They half-stood and the first round ended. That mouse was big and black and nasty under Hess's left eye. It was really swollen. The third round began. Hess shot in, Lombard stuffed it easily with that sprawl. Lombard landed a big left hand and shot in and got a double to guard after just a moment. Four twenty-five. I guess he's tired of the dancing. I would be, too. 'Come on, Jared, get up!' a woman yelled. Lombard landed an elbow and Hess blocked another. Hess threw up an armbar attempt but Lombard dodged it easily. Blood was everywhere from that one elbow. I mean, everywhere. Nasty. Hess was struggling to control Lombard's arms. Three twenty-five. The referee paused the fight to check the cut. It was on the forehead near the hairline, above the right eye. They cleared the blood away. Hess said he wanted to continue and they let him. Hess's ear was bleeding too. Hess pushed forward and they clinched. Lombard avoided a single-leg and they broke away. Three minutes with the ref stopping it again to check the cut. The clock was paused at two fifty-three. They continued. Lombard tripped briefly and stood as they circled. Two thirty. They clinched. Lombard got a double-leg to guard after a moment. Lombard landed some body shots. Two minutes. Hess shoved him off. Lombard came down after a moment to side control. One thirty remained. Not much going on. Lombard landed an elbow to the body. He held the fence and was warned. One minute. Hess was basically just laying there, then he turtled up. Some body shots. Not much going on. Thirty. They stood to the clinch, Hess tried a trip but Lombard avoided and turtled him up. Hess rolled for guard and gave up the back. Ten. The third round ended. The fourth round began. They circled. They circled some more. Four twenty-five. Lombard landed a left hand. Hess shot in, Lombard sprawled nicely. Lombard pulled guard at four minutes. Lombard landed another elbow on that already re-opened cut. Another elbow and another, vicious. Another elbow and another. Another elbow. Lombard was warned for a finger in the throat. Three twenty-five. Blood was everywhere. The referee paused it to check the cut for I think the third time. Blood was literally everywhere. It was everywhere. The doctor waved it off. Lombard was the middleweight champion by cut stoppage.